China: Coal shortages, transport problems cause power gaps

China is experiencing a power gap of up to 69.63 million kilowatts (kw) as a coal shortage cuts generation at some plants, according to the State Electricity Regulatory Commission (SERC).

The shortage has led 13 provincial-level regions, including Hubei, Sichuan, Shaanxi, Yunnan and Guangdong to ration electricity, SERC chairman You Quan said.
The booming southern province of Guangdong is expected to have a power gap of 6.5 million kw this year, said Yang Jianchu, deputy head of the Provincial Economic and Trade Commission.

Electricity use has surged amid rapid economic growth. Demand has also jumped as more people turn up the heat in the freezing winter. The snow is also causing transportation problems for coal, which exacerbates output shortages, You told a meeting on Tuesday in Beijing.

Coal reserves were down more than 40 percent year-on-year, at 17.73 million tons, as of Jan. 20, according to the State Grid. The figure only equals eight days’ supply for the country’s power plants.

The coal gap is 330,000 tons per day, or 14 percent short of the total consumption of 2.32 million tons, SERC stated.

Xinhua